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Bus-load of bosses

Martin's back with some fascinating stats...

Every week on skysports.com he answers your questions and offers you statistical gems from what he's seen as he tours the world commentating for Sky Sports.

Sky Sports' voice of football and his back-up team of experts want your queries on all things statistical and historical from the beautiful game.

Van Persie: involved in two historic games last week

So if you have spotted something from a matche or have been stumped by a pub quiz question, simply email skysportsclub@bskyb.com and he will do his best to help.

Tyler's teaser

But as usual we'll kick off with a question for YOU. Click play to see this week's Tyler's Teaser.

Martin's Starting Stat

I saw Norwich beat Sunderland 2-1 on Sunday and they are now eight Premier League games unbeaten. It's the first time they've had a run like that since September to November 1993 (but, admittedly, they've not been in the Premier League that much in that period) and in those eight games, they have not conceded in the second half.

It was a fourth consecutive home win for them, but the other three had all been 1-0 so they didn't make it into a fourth consecutive shutout (which would have been for the first time since 1979). It was only the second time this season they've scored more than once - and the other time was a 5-2 home defeat to Liverpool.

Sunderland now have just two wins in their last 22 in the Premier League and both of those were against teams reduced to 10 men. They haven't beaten a side with a full complement since Liverpool in March.

Sebastien Bassong scored his second Norwich goal eight days after his first, while Phil Bardsley, who is Sunderland's third-highest appearance-maker in the Premier League edged a little closer to closer to second-placed Kevin Phillips. He's now on 136 and Phillips is on 139. The one out in front - but catchable if Sunderland stay up - is Michael Gray on 170.

A SWIFT SEVENDear Martin, Have we ever seen seven goals scored in a quicker time than the 34 minutes it took Reading and Manchester United on Saturday? That surely hasn't happened before in the Premier League? Keep up the good work, Scott (Crystal Palace fan)

MARTIN SAYS: Saturday's amazing game at the Madejski is only the third match in Premier League history to see seven first-half goals - and as you suggested, the seventh goal scored by Robin van Persie came in the 34th minute.

The last time we saw seven goals in the first half of a Premier League game was April 21, 2000 when Bradford hosted Derby. Rory Delap, Branko Strupar and Craig Burley all scored for Derby, while Peter Beagrie and a Dean Windass hat-trick saw Bradford lead 4-3 at half-time (it eventually finished 4-4). However, Windass scored the seventh goal of the game in the 44th minute - 10 minutes later than Saturday.

But I can confirm that we HAVE seen seven goals scored in a quicker time in a Premier League game. When Blackburn hosted Leeds on September 14, 1997 the away side were 4-2 up with only 23 minutes on the clock.

Martin Dahlin pulled one back for Blackburn in the 33rd minute - which means that this game saw seven goals a minute quicker than in Saturday's clash - and like that game, the score remained at 4-3 to the away side for the rest of the match. I've detailed that game below:

I'll never forget that game because I was commentating on it for Sky Sports and it was my birthday. I said at half-time what a good birthday present it was but I think I jinxed the second half because there were no more goals!

QUICK WINSHi Martin, With Man United winning 1-0 against West Ham on Wednesday, I wanted to know what is the earliest winning goal scored. We know there are early goals - ie within the first minute - but I don't think many of those games ended 1-0. So with the score 1-0, what is the earliest that the winning goal was scored? Sean (Man United fan)

MARTIN SAYS: According to our records, Robin van Persie's strike was indeed the quickest winning goal in Premier League history. We've found evidence of three games that finished 1-0 with the only goal being scored inside the first minute, however, in the other two fixtures the scoring took longer to be opened than the 33 seconds that van Persie needed against West Ham.

Interestingly, the second quickest winning goal in Premier League history was also scored by Manchester United; Wayne Rooney scored in the 54th second against Wigan at Old Trafford in 2009 and the match finished 1-0.

The third quickest winner also involved Wigan - and remarkably involves their first ever Premier League goal. In only their third game in the top flight, Jason Roberts was fouled by Sunderland's Gary Breen inside the penalty area after only 12 seconds - and the Wigan striker picked himself up to convert the resulting penalty kick. Our records indicate the goal was scored in the 55th second, even though the penalty was awarded much sooner.

SPOT AND BOTHEREDHi Martin. I was watching the Liverpool match against Spurs and I could not believe that Phil Dowd did not award Luis Suarez a penalty when William Gallas tripped him. This also means that Liverpool have not won a penalty this year. So my question to you is what is the longest run that a team has not won a penalty in the Premier League? Mark Dilworth (Liverpool fan)

MARTIN SAYS: Liverpool's last penalty came in the penultimate game of last season when they were awarded one against Chelsea (although Stewart Downing failed to convert it). They have played 16 Premier League games since then (one to end last season and 15 this) without a penalty.

There are five other teams who haven't been awarded a penalty yet this season, including Tottenham who are also on a 16-match run without a spot kick. The other four teams are on an even longer run without a penalty:

Norwich are currently on a 23 game run. Their last spot-kick was against Wolves in March.

Swansea are without a spot-kick in 25 games. Against Man City in March was the last time they had one.

Sunderland also haven't had a penalty in 25 games. Their last penalty was against Newcastle in March.

Aston Villa are currently on a 31 game run without a penalty. Their last penalty was against Wolves in January.

However, they are nowhere near Opta's record for consecutive Premier League matches without being awarded a penalty. They have only been keeping penalty data since the start of the 1998/99 season and Wimbledon hold the record in that period with 65 games without a penalty - but we've researched further back than that and discovered that the run actually extends to 91 matches without a spot kick.

They were awarded one against Leeds on October 25 1997 and went through the rest of the season and the whole of the next season without winning a penalty. The run ended when they were awarded one against Leicester City on March 11, 2000 and Neil Ardley scored from the spot.

Four other teams have been on runs of more than 50 matches without being awarded a penalty. They are detailed below:

*Actually part of a 91-game run (Opta's data only goes back to start of 1998/99)

So Liverpool's run isn't that long, but then again they had a terrible record on penalties last season anyway. They only scored one of six in the Premier League (Charlie Adam v West Brom) and had the following misses: Suarez v Sunderland, Kuyt v Everton, Adam v Wigan, Kuyt v Arsenal, Downing v Chelsea. What's the point in having them if you don't score them?

BEST STALE-MATESHi Martin, love your work. My question is regarding 0-0 draws. After seeing Rafael Benitez preside over another stalemate in his second game in charge of Chelsea, it got me wondering. He must be approaching thirty 0-0 draws as a Premier League manager - who has the most? Martin Frankland

MARTIN SAYS: Opta have looked into this for you and have confirmed that the manager who has presided over the most goalless draws in Premier League history indeed took a new job at a West London club within the past fortnight - but it's not the man you were thinking of. Harry Redknapp has taken charge of 59 Premier League goalless draws in his career - which is 10 more than anybody else.

Next on the list is Arsene Wenger (49 goalless draws), followed by Sir Alex Ferguson (45 goalless draws) - although that's hardly surprising given that they've taken charge of more games than anybody else. Rafeal Benitez has overseen 27 Premier League goalless draws to date.

However, you've got to consider the longevity of the managers. Harry Redknapp's 59 goalless draws have come in 595 Premier League games - an average of a 0-0 draw every 10.1 games. That contrasts with Wenger (one every 12.6 games), Ferguson (one every 17.5 games), Graham (one every 6.4 games), Allardyce (one every 10.2 games), Bruce (one every 9.6 games), O'Neill (one every 10.7 games), Curbishley (one every 10.9 games), Strachan (one every 9.3 games), Moyes (one every 15.0 games), Kinnear (one every 11.2 games) and Benitez (one every 8.6 games)

So from our list you're most likely to see a 0-0 draw when George Graham is in charge - followed by Benitez.

MEN WITH MOST MANAGERSHi Martin, I love all your stats and facts. With the appointment of Rafa Benitez, everybody is talking about the amount of managers Chelsea have had in the past few seasons. What I am wondering is which player has been managed by the most managers in Premier League history? Thanks, Chris

MARTIN SAYS: The clever chaps at Opta have been hard at work on this question and they've managed to calculate that there are five players in Premier League history to have served under 15 managers (when caretakers are included) - and one of those players actually served under 16 managers!

That man is Aston Villa goalkeeper Shay Given, who is currently working under his 16th Premier League manager in Paul Lambert. He has made 440 Premier League appearances for Blackburn, Newcastle, Manchester City and Aston Villa and has worked under the following bosses (the number in brackets is the number of Premier League appearances for that manager).

Out of interest, Luke Young, Andy O'Brien, Sol Campbell and James Milner have all played for 14 managers - it seems that Newcastle United, rather than Chelsea, are the thread between players with the most Premier League managers.